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British GP qualifying as it happened

LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY (all times BST)

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By Mark Orlovac

1430: It's time to go. Thank you very much for all of your messages today. I'll be back tomorrow morning to do this all again, probably from around 1100 BST. See you then.

1428: Lewis Hamilton is pretty relaxed as he is interviewed by Jake and the boys. However he realises the size of the task that lies ahead this weekend. "In terms of pure pace, it's impossible to touch Red Bull at the moment," he says.

Graham via text: "I can't believe that Button's car is such a shed! With all the expertise of McLaren to have two cars so much apart. Driving styles make some difference but this is very disappointing. Maybe it could rain tomorrow!"

Anon via text: "Maybe Jenson can do a long stint on the prime tyres tomorrow and achieve what Kobayashi did in Valencia?"

1418: More ribbing for EJ on the telly. Christian Horner asks him what he has come as. I'm starting to feel sorry for him. Horner is grilled as to why Vettel, and not Webber, was given the new front wing after Vettel's nose cone fell off this morning. "We only had one after this morning's incident so sometimes you have to make difficult decisions and based on P3 and championship positions it went to the left hand side of the garage." Interesting.

Amir Mir on 606:
"Shame for Button but at least Lewis did well. The Red Bull boys have once again impressed, congratulations but hope they mess up tomorrow though."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner: "It was a great team performance, the drivers were evenly matched and there was nothing between the two of them."

Ferrari on Twitter:
"Felipe had no grip in his second run - a pity because after the first sector he was very quick."

BBC F1 analyst Martin Brundle: "I think Lewis Hamilton will be very satisfied with fourth, that's a bit of a save. In fact I think he could be the happiest man in the top 10."

1404: Webber finished second while Alonso and Hamilton will start on the second row. There's a great shot of Alonso, who has clambered out of his Ferrari, just staring at Webber's car, almost in disbelief.

1402: Is there anyone that can stop these Red Bulls in qualifying? Unbelievable. That's the fifth time this season that they have locked out the front row. Vettel even improved his time at the end, setting a 1:29.615.

1400: SEBASTIAN VETTEL QUALIFIES ON POLE FOR THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX

1359: Last runs now for the drivers, hold on to your hats.

1358: Alonso is third, Hamilton fourth with Rosberg fifth. The rest of the top 10 looks like this: Massa, Barrichello, Schumacher, Kubica and De la Rosa.

BBC F1 commentator David Croft: "In the run-up to the Grand Prix it was all Button and Hamilton, Senna and Prost. But the analogy isn't in their relationship, it is in their driving style. Jenson likes everything set up precise and accurate so he can go out and do the best he can do. Lewis is more like Senna enjoying the raw speed and not minding the car sliding about underneath him a bit."

McLaren's Jenson Button on BBC One: "This morning the car felt really good. I personally think there's something wrong, the car was undriveable. That's it really. I don't know if I've lost rear downforce since this morning, but it's pretty undriveable. This weekend has been tricky, but that wasn't normal."

1354: There is an audible gasp in the office as the Red Bulls of Vettel and Webber storm to the top of the times. Webber sets a 1:29.758 while Vettel then trumps it with a 1:29.695. Bang. Beat that.

BBC pundit David Coulthard: "Jenson delivered all the apexes, so maybe there's been some set-up changes which haven't delivered, but clearly the car is struggling on overall downforce."

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson: "What makes it even more gutting for him on a personal basis is that his team-mate Lewis Hamilton sailing through in seventh. Jenson just seemed to have no confidence with those option tyres."

1350: All set for Q3? That's good, because here it is...

1347: Webber was the fastest man in Q2 with Vettel, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher, Rosberg, Hamilton, Barrichello, De la Rosa and Kubica also making it through. A disappointed Button says his car is "undriveable".

1346: The other drivers to miss out are: Sutil, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Button, Liuzzi, Petrov and Buemi.

1343: "I'm sorry about that," Button is told by his race engineer. Hmmm, it is going to be a long afternoon in the McLaren garage. "It's a huge disappointment," says Eddie Jordan.

1342: Well, well. He can't do it, Button doesn't make Q3.

1341: Schumacher runs wide at Copse but he's not really in danger. Button needs to pull something special out of the bag now. This is his last chance.

dyrewolfe on 606:
"The Red Bulls are looking ominously quick. McLarens seem to be struggling to keep up. Alonso also looking very quick."

BBC F1 analyst Martin Brundle: "Unless they stand on their own tails, Red Bull are going to walk this race. Their car is so planted. It's their race to lose."

1336: There's five minutes to go now. Hamilton is lying in seventh, Button is in 14th. The drivers in the drop zone are: Kobayashi, Kubica, Liuzzi, Button, The Hulk, Buemi and Petrov. Schumacher is fifth.

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson: "I think McLaren really are in trouble. They were running a whole new aero package yesterday and that isn't on the car now. It is all a bit higgledy-piggledy and they are on the back foot and are unable to get a handle on the speed and balance of the car."

BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "McLaren have sent out both Button and Hamilton on soft tyres, the only team to do that, which shows how nervous they are about making it into Q3."

1332: The times are coming down quickly. Webber sets a 1:30.436. On hard tyres. That's ominous for the rest of the field. Vettel is second, Alonso third. Button complains that he is struggling with the rear of the car. "Got very low grip," he says.

BBC F1 pundit David Coulthard: "We know McLaren are struggling a little bit, but Lewis made some little mistakes in that session, mistakes we are not used to seeing. The wind is a factor here, and it may be that the McLaren car is more affected by the wind that we realised."

1330: Button sets the fastest lap so far in Q2, a 1:34.174. The Hulk is currently second, Massa in third.

1328: We are go for Q2, which will last for 15 minutes. I don't know what happened to Michael Schumacher there by the way, I reckon he will not be too happy with 15th, even in Q1.

1325: We've had a few messages in regarding the new driver tracker tool that we are introducing this weekend. It is worth mentioning that the tool will only be available for the race day. You can read more about it on
Andrew Benson's blog.

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson: "It is not looking good for Jenson at the moment. He is a bit further off the pace than he would want to be. Hamilton is still hanging in the top five so there is still some speed in the car but they won't be going all out. There is no point flogging the car. The important thing is just getting through to the next round of qualifying."

1320: That's it then. The drivers failing to make it are: Alguersuari, Kovalainen, Glock, Trulli, Di Grassi, Chandhok and Yamamoto. Alguersuari is involved in a heated chat with his race engineer. He doesn't seem too happy.

1318: Jenson Button goes eighth fastest after a 1:31.435. Liuzzi saves himself with a 1:32.226. It seems that Alguersuari is not going out again, he is out.

1316: Alguersuari can breathe easy for a minute, a 1:32.430 moves him up to 17th. Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi is now in the drop zone.

1314: Adrian Sutil posts a 1:31.109 to move up to fourth. Alguersuari is currently joining the new teams in the drop zone.

1312: This is lively. Vettel is now quickest after a 1:30.841. Felipe Massa gestures at a Hispania car as he gets baulked around Luffield. Massa is lying in eighth. Alonso is third with a 1:30.997.

1311: Hamilton is on a flyer and he goes second with a 1:31.297. Rosberg is fifth with a 1:31.626.

1309: Hamilton scrubs a quick lap after running wide at Club. Webber sets the fastest time of 1:30.988. Barrichello is second, Vettel third.

BBC F1 analyst Martin Brundle: "I think McLaren's problem is more about suspension than aerodynamics. They run their car very stiff, and it seems to be literally bouncing off the race track."

1306: Petrov sets a 1:32.467 to lead the times at this early stage. Button is baulked by the Force India of Liuzzi at Luffield. He can throw that lap away then.

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson: "The steering going as the nose cone dropped down will be the last memory that Vettel has of going into that corner and that is going to stay with him. Webber is going to be keen to take advantage of that."

1302: After a slow start, the cars start to come out of their garages. Buemi is having a chat with a very deep-voiced member of his Toro Rosso team. He sounds like he is auditioning to be a voiceover artist on a horror film. Glock sets a 1:35.951.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh: "We had probably 20 upgrade parts, and we've kept six or seven on, but in truth we're probably on the back foot to Red Bull. We'll do our best to catch up this afternoon."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner: "Practice has gone pretty well for us, both drivers are pretty happy so far. [On Vettel's nose-cone problem] We did what we call a 'hot swap' between nose boxes, and one of the connections may not have locked properly, and the bump at Turn 11 may have been enough to dislodge it. Luckily we got away with it."

1300: Here we go then. The first 20-minute session of qualifying is under way.

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson on Mercedes: "I've seen a lot of change at that team from BAR to Honda to Brawn and now Mercedes. There is a lot of stability there now even if they haven't got the performance that they had with the Brawn. I would be surprised if Michael Schumacher didn't get a podium by the end of the season. It is an unpredictable sport and all you need is one or two of the top guys to fall, but is just unfortunate for him and Nico Rosberg that the car isn't where it needs to be. It has fallen back from the other teams compared to the start of the year."

BBC F1 pundit Eddie Jordan: "McLaren came here with a spring in their step, thinking they would monopolise this race but that's not the case and we know that Red Bull are even quicker."

BBC F1 pundit David Coulthard: "Bringing Jenson and Lewis to the same team has really split the crowd because they want to see a British winner this weekend."

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at Silverstone: "Fernando Alonso has been very clear about his ambitions for this weekend - knowing, but not yet admitting, that he has for various reasons let a significant number of points slip by this season, Ferrari's lead driver knows he needs to start scoring big in the next three races to strengthen his currently increasingly slippery foothold in the championship battle. Silverstone was not expected to be a strong race for Ferrari, but the car - particularly Alonso's - has looked to be Red Bull's biggest rival and he was just over 0.1secs off the pace in final practice. It might be a long shot, but can the Spaniard get in amongst the Red Bulls on the grid?"

1250: Just 10 minutes to qualifying now. Where's your money? For what it is worth, I'm going for Webber, Vettel, Alonso.

BBC motorsport commentary star Murray Walker: "I was at the first Silverstone Grand Prix in 1950, and there were 120,000 people there as well, but I think this is a golden era for Formula 1. We haven't had a bad race this year - it was processional in Bahrain, but it wasn't boring, and every other race has been fantastic. My guess is Vettel will win, my hope is Webber will do very well, but watch the race, it's going to be terrific."

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt at Silverstone: "There are mixed views at BBC HQ about how McLaren will fare in qualifying after ditching their new diffuser. The team have gone back to their Valencia set-up - although both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are still running with the modified front wing - and will have been frantically trying to get the most out of testing during this morning's third practice. Eddie Jordan reckons the U-turn on the updates won't affect McLaren adversely and says it could even given them the impetus to go quicker. Martin Brundle is less sure; he says the McLarens are struggling for pace and warns one of them may not even make it even into Q3. Hamilton and Button were both struggling to ease their stiffly-sprung car over the bumpy track in practice but no driver is more motivated than they are to put on a show this weekend."

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn on Michael Schumacher: "Michael is spending a lot of time working with the team discussing the areas we need to work on and improve on. He has been through tough periods in his career and knows that you can't panic but must look at things logically and put the fixes in place for the future."

1241: Crikey you lot are clever. Not that I doubted that for minute mind. I have had loads of texts and messages in about my quiz question from earlier and the answer is... Renault's Robert Kubica. If I break up the chocolate I might be able to send a piece to some of you. Now, where's my book of stamps?

1238: Former world champion Nigel Mansell is not happy with EJ's outfit. Mansell is part of the stewards' panel this weekend and he warns EJ that "I am actually going to fine you for coming out in shoes like that". Harsh.

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at Silverstone: "An interesting twist to the qualifying battle this afternoon is that Mark Webber, following his horrific accident in Valencia, is driving the chassis that team-mate Sebastian Vettel rejected after being trounced by his team-mate at the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix. If Webber manages to beat Vettel in qualifying in that car, it would be another little psychological twist in the ongoing battle between the two men."

1232: Just in case you are joining us for the first time, here's how qualifying works. All 24 drivers go in Q1, with the slowest seven dropping out. The remaining 17 drivers take part in Q2, with the slowest seven again being knocked out. The final 10 drivers then battle it out in the Q3 shoot-out. Hope that makes sense.

Craig, Warwick via text: "What was Eddie thinking when he decided to wear that shirt and trouser combination?"Come on Craig, you must have the same combo somewhere in your wardrobe. I know I have. Apparently EJ is also wearing cerise shoes.

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at Silverstone: "My seat in the media centre is right above the McLaren pit, with Ferrari just behind me. There is a huge crowd in the pit lane and the grandstands opposite are packed with fans, with banners supporting Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Webber, Virgin and, er, Alfa Romeo, who haven't competed as a team in F1 since 1985."

1226: There's a great video now of Jake and EJ joining the numerous campers at Silverstone. The scene where they start to cook is absolute genius.

MUFC_4_E3VER on 606:
"I really hope the McLarens in practice were only doing race pace laps, otherwise I fear for another race at Silverstone dominated by the Red Bulls."

1218: I read a great stat this week and I reckon it could make a perfect quiz question. Which driver is only one to have out-qualified his team-mate at every race this season? Send me you answers via the usual methods. I can't promise a prize, all I've got is two wooden clothes pegs (I don't know why they are in my pocket) and half a pack of Bournville chocolate. Sorry.

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt at Silverstone: "A very interesting third practice session - topped by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who took a one-two here last year, with Lewis Hamilton seventh for McLaren with team-mate Jenson Button 12th. Vettel needs a quick fix on his front nose after a catch broke and left his front wing scraping along the track. Team boss Christian Horner says it's not a major issue and can be easily fixed but the spectre of reliability problems won't be what Red Bull want as they aim to get the jump on championship leaders McLaren. On his rivals, Horner says: 'Ferrari look quick as do Renault and Mercedes. Maybe McLaren were sandbagging in that last session. It's important we close the gap to McLaren (in the championship) - we've given them too many points already.'"

BenIssatt on Twitter:
"For qualy, I can't see past Vettel for pole but I think the McLarens might come back and put up a fight, should be fun."

1212: Stat warning. It is worth pointing out that in recent years, it has not been that vital to set the pace in qualifying at Silverstone. The pole sitter has only won here four times in the last 15 races.

Sim in Malta via text: "I reckon McLaren are hiding their one-lap pace and are focusing on race pace."

1208: Right troops, coverage is about to start on BBC One and at the top of this page. Don't say I didn't warn you about those trousers.

Darrell Allen, Norwich via text: "Hi Mark, I am really excited about qualifying. It appears we will get a straight fight between the Red Bull's. I think Vettel on pole, Webber second and Massa third"

Simon via text: "Anyone else want some trousers like EJ's? One word, incredible!"You haven't seen what he has got on today!

cartman on 606:
"C'mon Jenson let's see you get on the front row, get in there."

BBC Radio 5 live F1 on Twitter:
"Be warned there is a news press conference scheduled for 1300 BST. We will continue for Red Button, Sport Online and Kangaroo TV uninterrupted!"

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt at Silverstone: "There are plenty of former British drivers at Silverstone but 1992 world champion Nigel Mansell has a special reason to be here. Mansell is part of the stewards' panel this weekend and will run the rule over any controversial on-track incidents. He says: 'We had a busy time on Friday but I expect it to be straightforward. Having done the job as a driver you can give a different point of view. I think it's fabulous.' After he raced in last month's Le Mans, where he survived an early crash, and his stewarding role, he's already got another challenge lined up. Mansell and his two sons Greg and Leo are cycling 1100 miles in 13 days for charity UK Youth - to put that in perspective, the Tour de France is 2200 miles. Phew."

1153: Well that seems to be good news from the Force India and Red Bull teams, even though that
loose nose cone
can't have been nice for Vettel. So can you see past the Red Bulls for today's qualifying? Red Bull have been on pole for eight of the nine races so far this season, with Lewis Hamilton spoiling the perfect record in Canada. Give me your predictions via the usual way,
Twitter,606
or text us on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide) but make sure you put F1 before your message. Champion.

Force India on Twitter:
"Update: Adrian's problem has now been diagnosed as a minor engine issue. No problems anticipated for qualifying."

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt on Twitter:
"Red Bull boss Horner says it was a broken catch that holds the nose box together and that Vettel's car is easily fixable - not a major issue."

1143: I'm getting telly shots of Jake Humphrey and the boys getting ready for their BBC One broadcast at 1210 BST. I'm not going to spoil the surprise for you but it is well worth catching what our very own Eddie Jordan has on today. Extraordinary scenes.

1140: And we're back. There really is something marvellous about a toasted sandwich you know, even if it is from the BBC canteen.

1125: Right then, I'm just going to grab something to eat but I'll be back very, very soon. Promise. While you are waiting for the action to resume, take a look at the third
practice report.
See you in five (ish).

Ferrari on Twitter:
"The two Red Bulls are in front but Fernando and Felipe are just behind. Fernando could not set a time with soft tyres as we had a water leak and we called him in immediately in order to check the car and avoid any risk."

Force India on Twitter:
"A minor problem with the gearbox for Adrian [Sutil] halted his session early. Should be easy to fix, more updates soon."

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt on Twitter:
"Vettel's late problem could throw the dice in the air. The team will have to make sure the car is safe & reliable before qualifying at 1300 BST."

The Lunatic Fringe:
"Did McLaren gamble in trying to rush in too many upgrades for Silverstone? If they don't get the blown diffuser sorted out before Hockenheim, there's a chance that this gamble could blow their championship chances, just when it looked the the performance gap to RBR could have been wiped out."

BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "They've re-attached a new nose and it's holding. A mechanic has just pressed down on it, tentatively, and it's holding."

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson: "If the problem with the nose mounting on Vettel's car is on the chassis side, it's a big problem."

1100: Session over. Unsurprisingly it's pretty busy in the Red Bull garage as they desperately try and find out what on earth happened there.

1058: Whoah. Vettel runs wide at Abbey. As he comes down to the corner, his nose cone suddenly drops down as if something has snapped. His front wing is scrapping on the floor. That's not a way to end the session. He's limping his way back to the pits.

1056: Closing moments now. It's getting busy on the track as the drivers take part in their final glory runs.

BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "I can smell brake smoke at McLaren, where they're working on the rear of Button's car. There's something going on with Jenson Button - they're not entirely happy."

1053: Yamamoto is out and about in the Hispania. We are getting some fascinating in-car shots and he wrestles with that car, a bit like taking a three-year-old to the dentist. Adrian Sutil is out of his Force India, his car is up on the jacks and the mechanics are investigating a suspected gearbox problem.

Quinny on 606:
"If the McLarens are so desperate to catch up on lost practice time, why did both drivers stay in the garage for the first 15 minutes of final practice?

BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "It's the end of the session for Trulli - the wheels on his Lotus have locked solid. It's another hydraulic problem, which team boss Tony Fernandes says is incredibly frustrating".

1045: BBC pit-lane reporter Holly Samos says after comparing runs with and without their version of the 'F-duct' yesterday, Ferrari will be running with the device this weekend. Renault, meanwhile, have reverted back to their old spec front wing. Vettel sets the fastest time of the weekend so far, a 1:30.958. Alonso is second, Massa (1:31.515) is third.

BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Jenson Button is now concentrating on the front suspension and has changed the front ride height while Lewis is looking to change a rear bar. There was an element that McLaren wanted to believe that all these developments, originally planned for Hockenheim, were going to work here having worked so hard to get them up and running."

1039: Alonso improves to a 1:31.101 with Seb Vettel now second after a 1:31.425. Then it's Kubica, Barrichello, Rosberg and Sutil. Hamilton (1:32.151) is eighth, Button (1:32.610) is 13th.

Matt from Melbourne, Australia via text: "Keep the updates coming guys, practice is not televised in Australia. Here's hoping Webber can keep his wheels to the track."

1034: Ferrari's Felipe Massa runs wide at Copse. Is that going to be today's difficult corner? Team-mate Fernando Alonso is now quickest with a 1:31.243. Adrian Sutil is up to fifth for Force India with a 1:31.994. Button is down in 12th with a 1:32.657.

McLaren test driver Gary Paffett on why the team shleved their blown diffuser upgrade: "Obviously without the testing you come with components that you aren't entirely sure about and some of yesterday's stuff worked and some didn't. It is slightly disappointing but it is still a race earlier than we hoped to bring this in. If you could get it to work it would give you an advantage. After FP2 we made the decision to head back to Woking and jumped in a helicopter, arrived at five and finished on the simulator at about 2330. We ran the old floor and the new back to back to try and work out what happened. The car will be fast, it was fast before, but we haven't got the big step up we hoped. Something that is driven by exhaust gas is difficult to plan and to get to work. It will be different for Jenson and Lewis, it will take a few laps to get used to it, but they will be happy that they are able to push the car a little harder with this floor. But we will persist with it and hopefully we'll test it out see where it went wrong and have it improved by the time we get to Hockenheim."

Red Bull's Mark Webber on our Red Button coverage: "The pace was pretty solid on Friday. We had an electrical problem at the end which was a little disappointing but we had a lot of good stuff in the bank. We are going to do a little more testing for Sunday. If it is down to Seb [Vettel] and I again it won't be the first time and I will want to beat him. But McLaren are a class operation and will be back."

1027: Timesheet update: Robert Kubica is quickest for Renault with a 1:31.818. Then it is Rubens Barrichello (1:31.835), Nico Rosberg (1:31.960), Michael Schumacher (1:32.146) and Hamilton (1:32.151).

Tom in Frome via text: "Having to watch practice online as daughter is watching Charlie and the Chocolate factory on DVD."In my house I get turfed out because of the Wiggles.

payntrix on Twitter:
"Red Bull MUST take full advantage of McLaren on the back foot if they want the championship. already missed too many open goals."

1019: Hmmm, just getting a replay of Jenson Button running a little wide at Abbey and firing up a bit of dirt. He sets the fastest time of the morning, a 1:32.998. Hamilton also goes a smidgen off line - this time at Copse.

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson: "The fans here at Silverstone are so knowledgeable. Everyone gets it. They are here for the right reasons to watch the cars going round the track. In other countries they come for the event."

1015: Oh dear, there's a sick-looking Virgin Racing car crawling around the circuit. It's Timo Glock. Trulli sets a 1:37.000 while team-mate Kovalainen posts a 1:37.591. In an important development in the office, the first tea round of the morning has just been bought. I am now feeling like a human again. You beauty.

BBC F1 analyst Anthony Davidson: "Typically when McLaren make a big update, they make big progress but clearly the simulations they have seen in testing haven't played out in practice. These teams are playing catch-up with Red Bull who have had this rear blown diffuser since the beginning of this season and even the end of last. It is just like the 'f-duct', which no team have quite got as right as McLaren who first brought it in. McLaren had to use yesterday as a real test."

1011: The noise of Jarno Trulli's Lotus shatters the silence. He had difficulties yesterday so is obviously keen to get some track time. Meanwhile, on the pit wall, Mark Webber is involved in deep conversation with team boss Christian Horner. Insert your own caption here.

Virgin Racing on Twitter:
"Everyone in the pit. Very calm over our radio. Changing the amount of blanking on the water radiators. Setting various parameters over Timo [Glock's] radio. Mixture, torque, clutch and pedal. Using different pedal setting for running and start."

1007: Right then, everyone has completed an installation lap but it's all quiet on track at the moment as the cars are in their garages. We are getting shots of the grandstands and the campsites at Silverstone and it really is packed. It's a wonderful sight to see.

Jim in Desborough via text: "I feel like an McLaren mechanic today after just two hours sleep thanks to my son. F1 is the perfect remedy, if only I was near a TV. Thank goodness for live updates! Lewis for pole and victory I think."

tranquility2k9
"I think if McLaren can still remain the second fastest team here, even without their major upgrade package, then it will be a positive for them and will be a big knock for Ferrari especially. I guess that is what they have to aim for now and maybe hope that Red Bull have reliability problems, or that Lewis can take them both in the first few laps, maybe causing Vettel to get angry and swerve into Webber."

1000: We have a green light and the two Lotus cars of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen are the first to take to the track. Force India tell Adrian Sutil that the wind is a 'bit stronger than yesterday'.

0955: Stand by your beds, we are up and running for practice on the Red Button and at the top of this page.

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt at Silverstone: "All set for another glorious day at Silverstone, Orlo. A whopping 85,000 people came through the gates for Friday practice, which is more than you see on race days at some of F1's stops around the globe. Silverstone is often described as the birth place of the F1 as it staged the first race when the world championship began in 1950 and that's why so many people brave the British motorways and head to Northamptonshire. I'll head out to find out what the general opinion is on who's favourite for the flag this weekend but it's no surprise that most fans here are decked out in McLaren colours."

0949: Our round-up of
gossip
around the world of F1 is now up for your perusal. There's a nice snippet from Yamamoto, who says he doesn't want a rift with Bruno Senna following his promotion this weekend.

BBC F1 commentator Jonathan Legard at Silverstone: "One notable absentee for the rest of the weekend is Bruno Senna, who will be watching qualifying and the race on television at home following Hispania boss Colin Kolles's decision to replace him with Japanese Sakon Yamamoto for this race. The reasons behind the decision remain a mystery, officially at least, with Kolles refusing to expand on his shock move and Senna remaining tight-lipped. The Brazilian was at the track on Friday as his management and Kolles worked out their differences. Most importantly for Senna he will be back in the car for the next race in Germany and for the rest of the season."

0944: We are getting a few telly pictures now from Silverstone and it is still looking fine although there are quite a few clouds in the sky. Our weatherman
Ian Fergusson
has posted his latest update, which says there will be a reduced threat of isolated showers for Sunday morning. Today's maximum temperature will be 28C.

0939: So this is your chance to get involved with this live text thingy. There's no point putting it off until tomorrow. Can you see anyone but a Red Bull taking pole position and how will McLaren fare this afternoon? Maybe you could me your tips for sleeping through the heat. You can use
Twitter,606
or text us on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide). If you wouldn't mind, could you put F1 before your message so as to prevent any Tour de France confusion. Ta.

0936: Here's the line-up for today. We've got the final practice starting at 1000 BST with qualifying taking place at 1300 BST. You can catch practice on the Red Button and at the top of this page, while coverage of qualifying starts on BBC One at 1210 BST. You can also listen to qualifying with David Croft on BBC Radio 5 live. Tidy.

0931: I hope you rested well last night and are pumped for today's action. Because of the heat, I was forced to sleep on the floor and woke up covered with carpet lines on my skin. I looked like a block of marble. Classy. Anyway, and forgive me for not saying this before, welcome one and all to our coverage of final practice and qualifying for the British Grand Prix.

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at Silverstone: "It is another beautiful day here and the stage is set for a great qualifying battle this afternoon. Red Bull, as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso put it on Friday, are still the favourites for pole position after their car showed its traditionally stunning pace in fast corners - it was 10mph faster through the brilliant new Abbey kink on Friday than anything else, making that corner a 170mph bend for Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, and 160mph for Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and others. McLaren's hopes have been hit by the team being forced to abandon their new 'blown diffuser' after overheating and instability issues, although engineering director Paddy Lowe told me he was still optimistic of the team challenging Red Bull. And another engineer said on Friday that he thought Ferrari were disguising their true pace and would be Red Bull's closest rivals."

0925: To be honest, anyone who watched yesterday's two practice sessions will not really be surprised to hear that bit of McLaren news. In
second practice,
Lewis Hamilton finished eighth fastest, 1.523 seconds off the pacesetting Red Bull of Mark Webber while the Englishman ran wide several times at the new Abbey corner. Jenson Button, who finished down in 13th, admitted afterwards: "We haven't had the perfect day. It has been trickier than I expected in the car."

0920: Morning gang. No time for chat. Let's kick off this live text commentary with a bit of
breaking news
from the McLaren garage. The story is that they have been forced to abandon their
'blown diffuser'
upgrade as it caused difficulties on Friday. They are still going with their new front wing, however. Engineering director Paddy Lowe said: "We were competitive in Turkey without the blown diffuser and that's a similar sort of track to here."

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